Fri August 24, 2012

'No Easy Day' To Tell About Bin Laden's Death

This week the publisher Penguin confirmed it is releasing a book about the raid that killed Osama bin Laden. The book is called "No Easy Day." And as of this morning, it is number one on Amazon's bestseller list, even though it is not due out until September 11.

The book is billed as a firsthand account by a former U.S. Navy Seal who says he was part of that raid in Pakistan. It was written under a pseudonym, though we have learned the man's real name. NPR confirmed the author is Matt Bissonnette. That name has been widely reported to this point. And he really is a former Navy Seal.

The Defense Department says the problem is that Mr. Bissonnette did not let his former employer know about the book in advance. The military has all its employees sign a form agreeing to go through proper channels before they release information. We do not yet know what information is in this book, but it comes out after partisan debate over how much information the Obama administration disclosed about the bin Laden raid. A movie about the raid is due out later this year, and it will now be released after the presidential election, later than planned, after Republicans complained about it. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright National Public Radio.